Team Youth - Shape the future of the Youth

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Understanding Team W.A.L.I

Here at Team W.A.L.I (Friend/Guardian), we aspire to establish a platform that encourages the Shi’a youth to create new bonds and grow closer to Allah (S.W.T). We aim to provide a space where we can advance socially, spiritually, academically, and in other capacities through a variety of events and initiatives.

Wilāyah

Our team strongly advocates for the promotion of Social Wilayah. It reflects the concept of ummah (community) in Islam, where members of society are encouraged to support and care for one another. We pride ourselves in our passion for building bonds

Amānah

Team W.A.L.I embraces the JIY roles as more than just duties; we see them as moral obligations. As individuals dedicated to serving the youth, we pledge to uphold our promises, honour our commitments, and conduct ourselves with unwavering integrity.

Leaders

Effective leadership fosters a sense of unity and cohesion within the group, and will provide a good foundation when event planning. Everyone within Team W.A.L.I demonstrates leadership abilities and as a united front would like to be a support system and mentor to all youth.

‘Ilm

As young individuals ourselves, we recognize the invaluable wisdom of our learned scholars. Team W.A.L.I is committed to fostering continuous communication with these esteemed scholars throughout the year, seeking their advice, input, and mentorship. Their scholarly guidance ensures that decisions within our youth group are firmly grounded in authentic Islamic knowledge and principles.

Our Team

Discover Team W.A.L.I. Click on our names to explore our individual bios and learn more!

Ali Ridha Fazal

Chair

As a youth who is involved on multiple ISIJ sub-committees, I am committed to serving the Shia youth at JCC and providing them with an environment which allows them to thrive. I believe that my role as chair would be to listen to the ideas of our youth and bring them to life.

Hasnain Merchant

Vice Chair (Male)

I have a profound commitment to nurturing the development of young Shia individuals and fostering active community participation within JCC. As Vice Chair, I aim to utilize my skills in organization, communication, and strategic planning to advance JIY's mission effectively and cater to the unique needs of our Shia youth.

Atika Ismail

Vice Chair (Female)

To JIY I aim to introduce purposeful endeavors, fostering female solidarity and guiding youth towards a God-centered perspective. My profound enthusiasm for empowering young individuals will drive these efforts.

Shabbir Rashid

Treasurer

I bring positive energy, commitment, organization skills and experience to promote unity within the youth and give back to the community through exciting initiatives.

Sarah Manek

Secretary

I would personally like to listen to the needs and wants of the youth of our community so that together we can build a stronger God-centric youth community.

Ali Raihan Bhimani

Communications (Male)

I bring the eagerness to create and advertise engaging events for youth while helping them to grow in their faith.

Saara Kanji

Communications (Female)

I bring the dedication to encourage cohesion amongst our Muslim youth through active listening and inclusivity.

Ali Jivraj

Elected Member (Male)

I bring great determination, bright ideas, and a strong passion to build and unite the youth of the community.

Sara Karbalai

Elected Member (Female)

I bring a passion for creating a space and opportunities for youth to foster meaningful, long lasting connections with one another that will ultimately help them get closer to god.

Our Platform

Here at Team W.A.L.I, we have a platform that we believe will help us achieve our goals in serving the youth of this community. For more details, please read our manifesto.

It's about YOU!

Listening to the needs and desires of the youth will be approached through three main avenues. Through open forum events, where youth are invited to share their concerns, propose event ideas, and engage with the JIY Executive Committee. By establishing office hours where anyone with issues, concerns, or questions for scholars or the team can speak freely. And by being committed to ensuring accountability by providing regular updates to the wider community on the status of JIY and any progress being achieved.

Purposeful Events

These events serve as vital platforms for nurturing the spiritual growth, identity formation, and community engagement of young Muslims. By offering opportunities for meaningful connection with their faith and peers, purposeful Islamic events help instill a sense of belonging, purpose, and commitment to Islamic values among the youth.

Inclusivity

By extending a warm welcome to ALL youth who may or may not presently attend regular mosque gatherings, we aim to enhance participation and involvement within the broader youth community. This endeavour can also involve initiatives to embrace international students coming to Canada, along with providing necessary support services.

Scholarly Guidance

Establishing effective communication channels with Maulana Rizvi and Sr. Tahera Kassamali is integral to our primary objective of deepening our connection with Allah SWT. This fosters a stronger bond between the wider youth community and our Resident Alim, facilitating a deeper connection and relationship.

Our Events

Our team advocates for a diverse range of events encompassing social, academic, recreational, and spiritual activities. Below are some proposed events we aim to incorporate, striving to realize as many as possible while remaining open to additional ideas:

Recreational
Outdoor Adventure Retreats (yoga, hiking)
Cooking Workshop
Poetry Workshop
Sports Day (Inter-Youth Collaboration, dodgeball tournament)

Academic
Educational Mentoring (Course Selection, University Fair)
Group Study Halls
Engaging with new scholars
Self Defence Course
Financial Literacy
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Social
Picnics
Islamic Movie Night
Female Empowerment Event (Small Business Bazaar)
Youth Social Nights!

Spiritual
Islamic/Quranic Workshops (Understanding Islamic Roles, Youth Milaad Celebrations, Quranic Journaling)
Quranic Reflections Workshop
Meditation Workshop
Male & Female Mubahatha Circles Continuation

To be a leader of the youth is not easy – it requires committed, dedicated, and trustworthy individuals who understand the responsibility of leadership. Team W.A.L.I is full of individuals who have spent time and effort on the ground level, truly working for the betterment of the community. As the current JIY vice-president and the longest-serving member of JIY, I am proud to endorse Ali Ridha Fazal and Team W.A.L.I in the upcoming 2024 JIY election.

Talib Lila

JIY Vice Chair 2022-Present

As someone who has served for four years in JIY, including two years as JIY Chair, I understand the importance of organizing impactful events. Team W.A.L.I possesses the necessary experience, manpower and skills to achieve this. Their dedication and hard work are evident in their commitment to making a positive impact on the community. In particular, I have had the privilege of working closely with the nominated Vice Chair female, Atika, whose unwavering commitment to the spiritual, social, and educational growth of our youth is truly inspiring.

Zahra Jessa

Former JIY Chair

As the current chair of Jaffari Islamic Youth, I fully support Ali Ridha Fazal and his team as the next leaders of the committee. Their mission and vision will solve many of the issues being faced, such as continuous engagement of the youth, elevating their spirituality, and building them as future leaders of the community. Vote Team W.A.L.I in the upcoming 2024 election!!

Muhammadraza Karim

JIY Chair 2022-Present

The members of this committee have not come out of a vacuum to run for JIY. They are dedicated and active volunteers in the community, both official and on voluntary basis. I've had the pleasure of working with a majority of the members on various Eco related as well as other projects. I have seen their work ethics up close. They are committed, sincere, respectful, moral and reliable. They have taken on roles that required leadership and fulfilled them with dedication to the cause.I see them as the future of our community and the young leaders that will guide our children to be better Muslims. I fully endorse Team W.A.L.I running for JIY 2024-2025.

Shelina Jessa

Jaffari Eco Chair

As the former Lead of Volunteers at JCC, I give my full support and endorsement to Team W.A.L.I. Having closely worked with many of the members on this team, I am confident and certain that they will be able to make a positive impact on JIY. Through their many years of experience volunteering and working in different capacities at JCC, they are best equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to take JIY forward in the best way possible. Vote for Team W.A.L.I!

Sadiq Fazal

Former JVC Vice Chair

As the captain of JCC’s parking team, we get the opportunity to interact with other volunteers from JCC in a way that most other people don’t. In all of my interactions with Ali Ridha Fazal and the rest of Team W.A.L.I, their eagerness and commitment to serving the community immediately jumps out to everyone around them. The values and mission of Team W.A.L.I reflect the standards that our community should uphold, and the entire team serve as shining role models for the youth.

Mohammed (Mike) Fazal

JVC Parking Captain

FAQ

Here at Team W.A.L.I, we have a platform that we believe will help us achieve our goals in serving the youth of this community.

Why should I vote for you?

Team W.A.L.I is full of individuals with extensive experience and fresh ideas, to go along with a track record of making a difference in our community!

What are your values?

Our team is committed to the importance of community and the sense of belonging that comes with it.

What are your plans for the future?

We have many exciting events planned including self-defense classes, outdoor adventure retreats, mentorship/tuition programs, sporting tournaments and more!

How can I get involved?

If elected, we will be sending out calls for associate applications within the coming weeks!

How can I learn more about what Team W.A.L.I is all about?

You can visit us at our pop-up booths at JCC during nightly programs and events in Ramadhan, or approach us anytime! We are here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to stop us for a chat!

Do you need to be a member of ISIJ of Toronto?

Yes, you must be a member in good standing with ISIJ of Toronto between the age 12 to 28 to vote. For ages 12-18, you are eligible to vote under your parents’ membership. For ages 18+, you will need your own membership to vote!

⁠How can I vote?

Check out this video for voting instructions! You can also sign up for our newsletter below, where we will send voting updates and reminders closer to election day.

Where can I find Team W.A.L.I updates?

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